Duke Energy asks local customers to reduce electricity use through Friday

Duke Energy is asking customers in the Carolinas to conserve electricity use through Friday to help reduce high-energy demand brought on by the predicted historic cold temperatures and to reduce the potential for power outages.

The “most critical time” to reduce electricity, Duke Energy said, will be from 5 to 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday.

“While Duke Energy has sufficient generation resources to meet its customers’ energy needs, conditions can change quickly and customers need to be prepared,” said Nelson Peeler, Duke Energy vice president of transmission system operations, in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. “A little bit of conservation from each of us will help to make sure we have enough electricity for all of us.”

Among other recommendations, Duke Energy advises customers to reduce thermostats to the lowest comfortable setting when at home, turn off unnecessary lighting, unplug mobile phone and tablet chargers when not in use and operate ceiling fans in a clockwise direction, which pushes warm air back down into the room.

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